Dam Safety Program

Monitors and regulates both private and public dams in Texas.

The Dam Safety Program monitors and regulates both private and public dams in Texas. The program periodically inspects dams that pose a high or significant hazard and makes recommendations and reports to dam owners to help them maintain safe facilities.

This page links to Texas regulations on dams, manuals on dam safety, and forms used by the program. Some files linked from this page are in Portable Document Format (PDF). (Help with PDF).

UPDATE: Dam Safety Workshop

At the Dam Safety Workshops for Owners and Operators TCEQ staff present information on issues that affect anyone who owns or operates a dam including: state dam safety laws and regulations and enforcement, emergency action plans and maintenance issues for all areas on a dam, recommendations for correction, and results of the probable maximum precipitation study that is being completed. For information on future Workshops, please visit the Dam Safety Workshops for Owners and Operators page (https://www.tceq.texas.gov/p2/events/dam-safety.html) The 2016 workshop presentations can be downloaded at the link http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/field/damsafetyprog.html/#workshop

UPDATE: Dam Exemption

Effective September 1, 2013, dams that are located on private property, have a maximum impoundment capacity of less than 500 ac-ft, classified as low or significant hazard, located in a county with a population of less than 350,000 (as per 2010 census), and not located within the corporate limits of a municipality are exempt from safety requirements. Dam owners will still have to comply with maintenance and operation requirements. There is no exemption expiration date. You can view a map based on county population criteria at the following link: Exempt County Map

Emergency Action Plans

In accordance with Title 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 299, Dams and Reservoirs, §299.61(b), owners of significant and high hazard dams were required to submit an Emergency Action Plan, which may be a draft version, to the executive director for review by January 1, 2011. If you have any questions about the preparation and submittal of EAPs, please contact the Dam Safety Section at (512) 239-0326 for assistance.

Procuring the Services of a Professional Engineer and List of Engineers:

Many actions/repairs at a dam require the services of a professional engineer. TCEQ Dam Safety Program maintains a document to answer the most commonly asked questions about hiring an engineer and to provide a list of engineers who have requested to be placed on a list. The document is available at the link: Engineers List